Local

Know: After being named outstanding lead actress and actor, two St. Louis high school teens will be traveling to New York for The Jimmy Awards. 

Inform: Cor Jesu Academy and Jersey Community High School performed “Curtains” and “Oklahoma!” at the first-ever St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, May 28. Maggie Kuntz from Cor Jesu Academy and Briley Bade from Jersey Community High School were named outstanding lead actress and actor after competing with 25 other St. Louis area high schools. They will attend The Jimmy Awards, an annual national event where young musical actresses and actors are recognized for their talents and achievements, at the Minskoff Theatre in Manhattan, June 26. The ceremony is made possible by contributions and sponsorship by The Broadway League Foundation.

Care: Every fall the Eureka Theatre Company presents a musical for students, parents, and other Eureka community members. The new St. Louis School Musical Theatre Awards could possibly be a great opportunity for etc… members. Two Rockwood high schools, Lafayette and Rockwood Summit, have already joined and competed this last season.

National

Know: The House of Representatives approved the American Health Care Act, May 9, and now the Senate will vote on it.

Inform: The Republican Party and President Donald Trump developed the AHCA in order to replace the current Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care. While the bill has already passed in the House, the Senate has not yet announced when they will vote.

The new act would raise the current uninsured rate from 9 percent to 18.2 percent, according to the National Health Interview Survey.

The bill also has many faults that would affect the next 10 years before it can bring positive results. For example, according to the Congressional Budget Office, less-healthy Americans could face thousands of dollars in premium increases under this act. A premium is what a policyholder has to pay out-of-pocket usually each month for insurance. This premium increase could easily lead to millions of Americans being unable to purchase insurance. Under the AHCA states would be able to “waiver” or allow insurance companies to deny people with preexisting conditions. A pregnant woman would be considered to have a preexisting condition which means they too could face thousands in premiums if there is a pregnancy complication.

Someone who is in the nongroup is a policyholder covered by private insurance. According to the AHCA itself, a policyholder with nongroup insurance would experience an increase in premiums in the range of 15 to 20 percent above their current premiums through 2020. Those with nongroup health insurance already pay premiums that average to about $1500. The AHCA claims that by 2026, premiums would be roughly 10 percent lower than what they currently are under the Affordable Care Act.

Care: Health insurance and proper coverage is vital to everyone. In Eureka there are multiple doctors offices, an Urgent Care and numerous pharmacies that the community relies on for their medical needs. Those who are uninsured will either have to pay out of pocket or be denied doctor visits and medical procedures. Eureka community members that rely on Medicaid–health insurance for low-income families–could possibly face the biggest hit. By 2018, Medicaid enrollment is projected to drop by 4.2 million people.

International

Know: The United States shot down an armed Iranian drone in Syria, June 20.

Inform: An unmanned Iranian drone was flying near a American military base put in place to protect Syrians in Tanf, Syria. This military base houses the U.S.-led coalition in order to fight the presence of ISIS in Syria. The Pentagon claims that the drone was acting “aggressively,” so the U.S. aircraft showed signs of force to warn off the drone by flying closely and directly at it, with no prevail; eventually the U.S. aircraft shot down the armed drone to prevent a possible attack.

Care: As recent events have shown the threat of a terrorist attack is a very real danger. All anyone can do is prepare for such an event, and Eureka community members should do the same. The American Red Cross has many suggestions for what to do and how to act before, during and after such an attack. Creating a plan with one’s family could be vital in keeping each family member safe and knowledgeable on how to find each other through chaos.